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Bristol Cathedral to host first city-wide thanksgiving service to celebrate International Nurses Day

Bristol Cathedral to host first city-wide thanksgiving service to celebrate International Nurses Day

Issue date: 09 May 2017

A thanksgiving service will be held in Bristol Cathedral to celebrate nursing past, present and future across the city.

It is the first time such an event will be held in Bristol to honour all nursing staff and student nurses.

Thanksgiving for Nursing in the City of Bristol: A Celebration of Service, Past, Present and Future is being held on Friday, May 12 – International Nurses Day – and is co-hosted by the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), North Bristol NHS Trust and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust.

It will include an address from NHS England's Chief Nursing Officer, Professor Jane Cummings – who did her nurse training in Bristol at Southmead Hospital – and readings and addresses from representatives of the three organisations.

International Nurses Day is held on the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing.

Sarah Green, Head of Nursing and Midwifery at UWE Bristol, said: “The celebration reflects the department's strong partnership with our local communities and offers an opportunity for us to collectively raise the profile of nursing and share what an amazing profession nursing is.”

The celebration at 5pm is open to nurses from across the city and family members.

Sue Jones, Director of Nursing and Quality at North Bristol NHS Trust, said: “Florence Nightingale's birthday – International Nurses Day is an important day where we celebrate and thank our nursing staff for their care, compassion and commitment every day. This year we are really pleased to be giving thanks together across Bristol.

“We would like to thank Bristol Cathedral for honouring nursing in this way as we open up our celebrations with a service of thanksgiving for nurses across the city.”

Carolyn Mills, Chief Nurse of University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This is a great opportunity for students and registered nurses and midwives to celebrate together being part of the nursing profession and to acknowledge and say thank you to all our nurses and midwives who are at the heart of providing healthcare to a patients and their families in Bristol and beyond."